Photos taken in 2005

Even with extensive renovations that were completed prior to the '05 season, Community Field will never be considered one of the better venues in minor league baseball. But in a place like Burlington, do the fans really care ? Nope, I think they would come out no matter what the park looked like or what amenities it had or didn't have. The fans come here to see baseball, and I'm not sure that's true at a lot of parks anymore. Located on a busy commercial strip, Community Field is a rather basic ballpark. Most of the seats are metal bleachers, with just a few rows of box seats located in the main grandstand. A large canopy, a part of the most recent renovations, covers a portion of the grandstand and most of the concourse which runs behind it. Other features of the renovation include a new press box and a new building which houses the ticket office, concession stands, and team store. As mentioned already, this isn't the most comfortable ballpark due to the large amount of bench seating. Also, the sightlines are quite poor as the netting and other obstructions (light poles, dugouts, etc.) block almost all the views. Picnic areas are located down each line as well as off the concourse behind home plate. The variety of concessions isn't great, but the prices are cheap and quality is decent. Most of the standard midwestern food items such as Chicago dogs and brats are available. As for the atmosphere, the name of the park sums it up pretty well. It definitely has a community feel as most of the fans seem to know each other by first name. The team does some between inning games and have an on-field DJ, but the whole production doesn't seem as scripted or polished as at other parks, which makes for a more genuine and quirky experience. Some of the games played included "treasure hunt", the wheel barrel race, and "throw the glove in the box." Unfortunately, they do play a bit too many sound effects and music snippets, but that's my only complaint with the atmosphere. I was also very impressed with the staff as they were both friendly and eager to help without being pushy. There just aren't too many authentic minor league experiences left, but Burlington comes pretty close with their hometown atmosphere and rugged ballpark. While not the best place to take in a game, it's nice to know that this experience can still be found at a few ballparks across this country.